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A man in North Carolina is a "a happy camper" after scoring a big jackpot using a special set of numbers.
Joseph Eonta, of Princeton, recently tried his luck in the Cash 5 drawing, picking up a $1 ticket from the Princeton Food Mart on Dr. Donnie H. Jones Boulevard for a drawing last month, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. When choosing the numbers for his ticket, he decided to use sentimental numbers that reminded him of family.
His decision to use his daughters' and granddaughters' birthdays brought him all the luck he needed, and he ended up scoring the $402,887 jackpot.
"I looked and I said 'daggum that looks like it might be the number,'" he recalled, adding, "I had to look about 20 times. It floored me."
Eonta recently his prize at lottery headquarters last month, bringing home a grand total of $286,091 after all require state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, Eonta told lottery officials he hopes to use some of the prize on bills and maybe even get a new car. As of now, though, he is still surprised that he hit the jackpot.
"I'm thrilled to death," he said. "This will help me considerably."